If you have high cholesterol, you can make several changes to your diet to improve your health. Some foods can help you not only lower bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) but also increase good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol. The best way to incorporate these foods into your daily diet is to make a smoothie. You can use fruits, vegetables, and other healthy ingredients to make a delicious cholesterol-lowering smoothie. Start taking these tasty, nutritious drinks regularly to help improve your cholesterol levels.
Choosing the right ingredients
Choose vegetables
This is a food group that allows you to make great smoothies and lower your cholesterol levels. These foods are rich in fiber and antioxidants.
- A diet rich in dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, helps to directly reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. This type of fiber also helps reduce the absorption of cholesterol from the blood.
- Try adding a serving of vegetables to your drinks. This corresponds to 1 or 2 cups of leafy vegetables.
- Here are some of the most effective vegetables for lowering cholesterol: dark-colored vegetables (such as spinach, kale or chard), pumpkin, cucumber.
- If you don’t like the idea of drinking a vegetable smoothie, you can mix these ingredients with fruit to improve the taste.
Choose fruits rich in antioxidants
Fruits are commonly used in smoothies. Naturally sweet, nutritious and low in calories, they will allow you to prepare healthy drinks and reduce your high cholesterol.
- In addition to being low in calories, fruits are rich in fiber and antioxidants that can help lower cholesterol. Eating them with your skin increases your intake of pectin, a type of soluble fiber.
- Whichever fruit you use, remember the portion size. Choose a small fruit or half a cup of diced fruit.
- Here are some of the most effective fruits for lowering your cholesterol: blueberries, apples, grapes, strawberries, avocados, and citrus fruits.
Add oats, a fiber-rich cereal
They are known to lower blood cholesterol levels. In addition to consuming them as porridge, you can add them to your fruit shakes!
- The reason why oatmeal is so effective in lowering cholesterol is that it is rich in soluble fiber. This type of dietary fiber, which is also found in red beans, organ, and plums, particularly reduces bad cholesterol.
- Since oatmeal is considered a whole grain, you should measure the portion size accordingly. Each serving is equivalent to 1/2 cup of flakes.
- At the supermarket, you can find different kinds of oatmeal: instant, Irish and rolled oatmeal. Although they come from the same grain, the processing method is different. To make a smoothie, you should opt for rolled oats.
Add a source of healthy fats
Known to strengthen the heart, good fats are also beneficial in reducing cholesterol levels. Add them to other ingredients to improve the cholesterol-lowering properties of your drink.
- Some foods contain large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids (good fats). These types of fats (like omega-3 fatty acids) help lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.
- Here are some foods that contain healthy fats suitable for smoothies: nuts, almonds, avocados, flax seeds, chia seeds, and hemp seeds.
- If you use a high-speed blender, the dried fruits and seeds will have a creamy, creamy consistency. If you don’t have such a device, you can add creamy peanut butter. The avocado is practically tasteless and makes the smoothie even more creamy.
- One serving of nuts and seeds is about 1/4 cup. Since avocado belongs to the fruit group, use 1/2 cup per serving
Add orange juice
Choosing the right mixing liquid is essential for making a good smoothie, as it makes the drink more diluted and easier to drink. Also, orange juice is an excellent ingredient that contains nutrients that help lower cholesterol.
- Some companies produce orange juice enriched with sterols or vegetable stanols. These substances are extracted from plants and help block the absorption of cholesterol by the intestine.
- Orange juice enriched with vegetable stanols can help lower bad cholesterol by about 5 to 15%.
- To benefit from it, you must drink or use 250 milliliters of fortified orange juice. When preparing your fruit shake, measure around 250 milliliters of orange juice and use it instead of water or milk.
- In addition to orange juice, you can add other types of juice and liquids, such as almond milk, soy milk, water, coconut water, or skim milk.
Add the whey protein
Add whey protein to your drink to increase its protein content and take more advantage of its cholesterol-lowering properties.
- Whey protein is one of two types of lactic proteins (the second type of protein is casein). You can get them at most pharmacies, health food stores, and supermarkets.
- Incorporating whey protein into your diet has been shown to help lower LDL and total cholesterol levels.
- Adding whey protein to smoothies is very simple. For a smoothie, add a spoonful of powder. For more information, read the instructions on the product packaging.
Prepare smoothies with cholesterol-lowering properties
Prepare a blueberry and avocado smoothie
Use bluets as the main ingredient, a fruit rich in healthy fats. With avocado, this drink will have a creamier consistency, while helping to lower cholesterol levels.
- Mix the following ingredients: a cup of frozen blueberries, 250 ml of coconut water, half an avocado, the juice of a lime, a dose of whey protein powder with vanilla and four ice cubes.
- Blend all the makings in a food processor until you get a smooth texture. Taste your fruit smoothie. If it is not too sweet, add a little stevia or honey.
- Also, if you want to improve its nutritional properties, try adding a handful of dark green leafy vegetables like spinach or kale. The proportions of ingredients in this recipe are calculated for 1 smoothie.
Make a chia seed smoothie
Chia seeds are great for making fruit shakes. You can grind them very well, moreover, they are rich in fiber and healthy fats.
- Mix the following ingredients: half a cup of blueberries or acai berries, two cups of unsweetened almond milk and two tablespoons of chia seeds.
- Blend all the makings in a food processor until you get a smooth texture. Taste your fruit smoothie. If it is not too sweet, add a little stevia or honey to improve the taste. Drink immediately. The proportions of ingredients in this recipe are calculated for 1 smoothie.
Prepare a green smoothie
Green smoothies are the ultimate healthy meal or snack. The ingredients used in this recipe are rich in fiber and antioxidants and thus help lower cholesterol levels.
- Mix the following ingredients: half a cucumber with the skin, 2 cups of chard, two celery sticks, a medium-sized peach, a medium-sized peeled orange, a quarter of an avocado and 120 to 180 milliliters water.
- Mix all the ingredients until you get a smooth, creamy texture. Taste your smoothie and if it is not too sweet, add honey. The ingredient proportions of this recipe are calculated for 2 smoothies.
Prepare an oatmeal smoothie
Oats are effective in lowering cholesterol and are not only used for porridge. If you use it as the main ingredient in your smoothie, you will get a drink with a creamy consistency, rich in soluble fiber.
- Mix the following ingredients: 60 grams of oatmeal, 60 milliliters of water, half a cup of milk, half a teaspoon of cinnamon, 100 grams of Greek yogurt, an apple without the stone, a tablespoon vanilla coffee, a date, a dash of lemon juice and a few ice cubes.
- Mix all the ingredients until you get a smooth, creamy texture. Taste your fruit smoothie and if it is not too sweet, add a few drops of maple syrup. The proportions of ingredients in this recipe are calculated for 1 smoothie.
Advice
- Smoothies can be a great way to assimilate specific nutrients to lower your cholesterol levels.
- Pay attention to the ingredients you use. Eating too much sugar can be harmful to your health!
- While smoothies can help lower cholesterol, making other changes to your diet is also essential to maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.